In a statement, Prof Ferguson said: “I accept I made an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action.

“I have therefore stepped back from my involvement in Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies).

“I acted in the belief that I was immune, having tested positive for coronavirus and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms.

“I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing.”

He also called the government advice on social distancing “unequivocal”, adding that it was there “to protect all of us”.

The Telegraph reported that Antonia Staats visited his home on at least two occasions during the lockdown.

Image caption Prof Neil Ferguson appeared before the Science and Technology Committee in March

Security Minister James Brokenshire told the BBC, while he was “sad to see this development”, Prof Ferguson had “taken the right course of action” by resigning.

Mr Brokenshire also stressed the importance of “ensuring there is a clarity of message on upholding the rules and requirements on social distancing and just why that matters so much in terms of protecting our NHS and saving lives”.

“We have a range of experts that will continue to support ministers,” he added.

BBC medical correspondent Fergus Walsh said “Neil Ferguson will know the science is very much developing” on immunity – and the government was not advising people to carry on as normal if they had already had the disease.

It comes after the number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK reached 29,427 on Tuesday – the highest number of virus deaths in Europe.

However, figures from the Office for National Statistics – which includes deaths where the virus is suspected, not just where tests have been carried out – brings the total number to more than 32,000.

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Media caption“I don’t think you can make the international comparisons you’re suggesting at this stage” – Dominic Raab

Later on Wednesday, Boris Johnson will return to Prime Minister’s Questions for the first time since recovering from Covid-19. He will likely face questions from new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on the government’s handling of the crisis.

‘Like it doesn’t count for you’

Prof Ferguson’s resignation comes a month after Scotland’s chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, quit when it was revealed she had broke lockdown rules by making two trips to her second home.

Scottish National Party MP Philippa Whitford compared the two cases on BBC Newsnight, saying Dr Calderwood was “also a great loss to the Scottish government”.

“But the problem is you can’t have that you’re telling people to do something really difficult but it’s as if it doesn’t count for you,” she added.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said he would not comment on an individual’s private life.

But he told BBC Breakfast: “Obviously we should all be following the social distancing rules because it’s absolutely vital that we all do what we can to suppress this virus.”

Prof Neil Ferguson is one of the world’s most influential disease modellers.

He is director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis.

The centre’s mathematical predictions advise governments and the World Health Organization on outbreaks from Ebola in West Africa to the current pandemic.

It was that group’s work, in early January, that alerted the world to the threat of coronavirus.

Image caption On Tuesday, a new NHS contact-tracing app was launched to key workers on the Isle of Wight

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image caption After initially reaching its target of 100,000 tests, for the past three days the government failed to hit it

Conservative MP Sir John Redwood suggested the circumstances behind Prof Ferguson’s resignation would not matter to the public.

“What matters to the nation is are we getting the right advice and how do we get through this dreadful crisis?” he said.

Prof Ferguson led Imperial College London’s Covid-19 response team, which published research in March warning 250,000 people could die without any action, before the government imposed the lockdown.

He specialises in infectious disease and has used mathematical modelling to provide information on disease outbreaks for the past 25 years.

He carried out modelling on the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001, and in the same year was awarded an OBE. He also provided data for the government during the bird flu outbreak in 2006 and swine flu in 2009.

A statement from the university said Prof Ferguson “continues to focus on his important research”.

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